Landscaping plays important role in planning for new mall

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 26

Landscaping plays important role in planning for new mall

The acceptance of landscaping as an important part of any new complex was demonstrated with the planning of the new Hornby Mall where a landscape architect was called in to plan with the architects and builders rather than provide a disguise for ugly building features afterwards.

Gilbert M. Brakey, a Christchurch landscape architect who has had his own company for more than four years, provided the landscape planning for the mall.

Landscaping is now being treated as an important part of the entire design of a complex rather than the hasty planting of a few trees or shrubs afterwards he said.

With the Hornby Mall the landscaping was

planned before any construction began, instead of being casually treated as an afterthought. About 40 trees, semimature and seedlings, will be planted around the mall when the whole planting programme is finished. The trees have been selected to complement the design of the building — large trees which will grow to 40ft to 80ft have been chosen to fit in with the great height and mass of the building.

This move toward incorporating landscaping '• planning in the over-all plan came about because council town planning committees are demanding higher standards in the total look of a new building, Mr Brakey said. “The Paparua County Council seems to be particularly advanced — they ask for 12.5 per cent of

the total site to be landscaped instead of just asking for landscaping on the street frontage,” he said. “Most of the planting around the mall has been kept very simple and it has been planned to integrate with planting by the council along the Main South Road. There are gum trees planted there and we have followed this pattern at the Carmen Road end of the Mall block.”

Large trees were chosen to break up the impact of a large mass Of car park and the service area of the mall, at the rear of the building, had not been neglected, Mr Brakey said.

The mall was built on an exposed piece of land and the large trees should have some effect in blocking the southerly winds. Ramps for wheelchair access to the mall have also been provided.

The fifth Christchurch branch ofL Whitcoulls, Ltd, can be found in the new Hornby Mall offering customers the full range of books, stationery supplies and a limited range of office equipment.

Gasson Glass, Ltd, will offer shoppers a wide selection of home handyman goods, a complete garden centre, hardware products and a range of about 300 varieties of wal-

The new branch will really be a smaller edition of the Cashel Street shop, says the Hornby branch manager, Mr Geoffrey Raines. The shop will stock all commercial and school

paper in their new shop in the Hornby Mall. Gassons recently joined the “Mitre 10” buying and advertising group, the 49th shop in the group. Their new Hornby shop is much bigger than their

stationary, calculators, toys and games, books and paperbacks and some office equipment. Initially there will be five shop assistants assisting Mr Raines in the new 3500 sq ft shop.

old premises and the goods in stock have been increased. Mr Alec Morgan will manage the shop and he will have a staff of nine to assist him.